The Research Project aims at developing modified poly (methyl methacrylate) resin that has surface charge and a charge affinity for native defense molecules. This denture base resin will serve as a device for controlled drug release, intraorally. Denture induced microbial infections are common and frequent among prosthesis users. The transition of commensal microorganisms in the oral cavity to pathogenic state is associated with colonization to an oral prosthetic surface as a part of microbial colonization. Treatment of this denture-induced infections is problematic. Disinfection of the surface is often incomplete and rapid recolonization occurs. Dental enamel efficiently adsorbs and retains salivary proteins and native antibiotics with its surface charge and function as an intraoral drug release device. On the other hand, though poly (methyl methacrylate) has general physical properties of a denture polymer, it has no surface properties similar to dental enamel. Therefore, salivary molecules are not effectively adsorbed and retained onto its surface. As a consequence, poly (methyl methacrylate) cannot function as an efficient substrate for adsorption and retention of native antibiotics, and serve as a controlled drug release device. Treatment of biomaterials-centered infections could be achieved by controlled drug delivery from polymers and other delivery systems. Our hypothesis is that with the recent advancement in polymer chemistry a modified poly (methyl methacrylate) denture base resin possessing surface charge can be manufactured and it will serve as a denture equivalent to tooth enamel. The proposed studies involve: 1) modification of poly (methyl methacrylate) to mimic the surface properties of tooth enamel by introducing ionized surface charge; 2) estimation of adsorption of native antimicrobial peptides such as histatin and bactenecin on to the surface modified resin, as compared to unmodified poly (methyl methacrylate); 3) determination of desorption of the adsorbed microbial agents in super saturated calcium phosphate solution at physiological pH and temperature; 4) assessment of the antimicrobial activity of microbial colonization of the surface modified polymer to which histatin an bactenecin peptides are adsorbed and 5) examination of the surface properties of the prosthetic devices fabricated from the modified polymer using different techniques. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: Not available.